Party hat



Dec. 19, 1967 D. E. WANAMAKER Dec. 19, 1967 D. E. WANAMAKER 3,358,293

I PARTY HAT Filed May 6, 1966 2 Sheets- Sheet 2 INVENTOR. BY J a 5%.

ATTOENE Y5,

United States Patent 3,358,293 PARTY HAT Don E. Wanamaker, 4400 Tangent Drive, Kettering, Ohio 45429 Filed May 6, 1966, Ser. No. 548,290 Claims. (Cl. 2195) This invention relates to a party hat and, more particularly, to a cardboard party hat for children.

One of the prime requisites of a party hat for children is that it be inexpensive. In order for a party hat to be inexpensive, it must be inexpensive to manufacture and be capable of being transported to retail outlets at a minimum cost.

The present invention satisfactorily solves this problem by providing a party hat in an unassembled arrangement in a single planar member. This reduces the volume of shipping space for each party hat to decrease its cost. The party hat also is relatively inexpensive to manufacture in this form.

Additionally, an inexpensive party hat for children must be easy to assemble after purchase. The present invention meets this requirement by utilizing a scored arrangement for the parts and only a minimum of attachments.

A party hat for children should be capable of providing entertainment during the party to the children. The present invention meets this requisite by being readily usable to provide games such as catching an object like a marshmallow, for example, with the hat.

A party hat for children should have sufficient durability to last throughout the party. The party hat of the present invention is formed of cardboard of sufficient strength to have durability for the length of a party so that it also will function as a souvenir.

A party hat for children also must be capable of being easily put on by the child. The party hat of the present invention utilizes an elastic strap to permit the hat to be easily positioned by the child on his head.

The attached drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view'of a party hat of the present invention in its unassembled relation.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view showing the beginning of assembly of one of the parts of the hats of the present invention.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view showing the beginning of the assembly of the other of the parts of the party hat of the present invention.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view showing one of the parts of the party hat being attached to the other of the parts of the party hat.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view, taken along the line 55 of FIGURE 4, showing the party hat fully assembled with an elastic retaining strap attached thereto.

Referring to the drawings and particularly FIGURE 1, there is shown a planar member 10, which is preferably formed of cardboard. The planar member has a first arcuate portion 11 formed therein by a scored line 12. The planar member 10 has a second arcuate portion 14 formed therein by a scored line 15.

Each of the first arcuate portion 11 and the second arcuate portion 14 has an inner curved edge and an outer curved edge with the ends of the inner curved edge joined to the outer curved edge by straight edges. The first arcuate portion 11 has its outer curved edge of a radius, which is greater than the radius of the outer curved edge of the second arcuate portion 14. The radius of the inner curved edge of the first arcuate portion 11 is less than the radius of the inner curved edge of the second arcuate portion 14.

The first arcuate portion 11 has a pair of arcuate slots 16 and 17 formed therein adjacent its inner curved edge. The arcuate slots 16 and 17 have the same radius of curvature.

The first arcuate portion 11 has a tab or projection 18, which extends from one of the straight edges of the first arcuate portion 11. The first arcuate portion 11 also has a longitudinal slot 19 formed therein for cooperation with the tab or projection 18. The longitudinal slot 19 is substantially parallel to the other straight edge of the first arcuate portion 11 and spaced slightly inwardly therefrom.

The first arcuate portion 11 has triangular shaped openings or apertures 20 and 21 formed adjacent its outer curved edge. As shown in FIGURE 1, the first arcuate portion 11 has a plurality of circular members 22 of varying diameter and different colors attached thereto for ornamental purposes.

The second arcuate portion 14 has a tab or projection 23 extending from one of its straight edges, which join the ends of the inner and outer curved edges. The second arcuate portion 14 has a longitudinal slot 24 formed therein and of slightly greater length than the width of the projection or tab 23. The slot 24 is spaced slightly inwardly from the other straight edge, which joins the ends of the inner and outer curved edges, and is substantially parallel thereto.

The second arcuate portion 14 has a pair of tabs or projections 25 and 26 extending from its inner curved edge. The maximum width of each of the tabs or projections 25 and 26 is slightly less than the length of the arcuate slots 16 and 17 in the first arcuate portion 11. The second arcuate portion 14 has a plurality of figures 27 of children thereon to indicate how the hats may be utilized to play a game.

The first arcuate portion 11 and the second arcuate portion 14 may be easily pushed out of the planar member 10 for removal therefrom because of the scored lines 12 and 15, respectively. Thus, the first step in forming the party hat of the present invention is easily accomplished.

Referring to FIGURE 2, the first arcuate portion 11 is shown in a partially assembled position in which the tab or projection 18 of the first arcuate portion 11 is about to be disposed within the longitudinal slot 19 in the first arcuate portion 11. When the tab or projection 18 is disposed within the longitudinal slot 19, the two straight edges of the first arcuate portion 11 overlap, and a first frusto-conical section of the party hat is formed.

The edges of the'tab 18 are separated from the first arcuate portion 11 as indicated at 28 and 29 in FIGURE 2 due to the scored line 12 (see FIGURE 1). This permits flexibility of the tab or projection 18 when inserted within the slot 19.

In FIGURE 3, the second arcuate portion 14 is shown with the tab or projection 23 about to be positioned within the longitudinal slot 24. The edges of the tab 23 are separated from the second arcuate portion 14 as indicated at 30 and 31 in FIGURE 3 due to the scored line 15 (see FIGURE 1). This allows flexibility of the tab 23 when it is inserted within the slot 24 of the second arcuate portion 14. With the tab or projection 23 in the slot 24, the straight edges of the second arcuate portion 14 overlap to form a second frusto-conical section of the party hat of the present invention.

With the two frusto-conical sections now formed, the tabs 25 and 26 of the second arcuate portion 14 are inserted within the arcuate slots 16 and 17, respectively, of the first arcuate portion 11 by moving the second frustoconical section downwardly as indicated by arrow 32 in FIGURE 4. This results in locking the second frustoconical section to the first frusto-conical section to form the party hat of the present invention.

As shown in FIGURE 5, the second frusto-conical section, which is formed from the second arcuate portion 14,

has its smaller end of greater diameter than the end diameter of the first frusto-conical section, which is formed from the first arcuate portion 11. The smaller end of the first frusto-conical section is disposed within the smaller end of the second frusto-conical section.

The larger end of the second frusto-conical section has a smaller diameter than the larger end of the first frustoconical section whereby there will be no problem as to which end of the hat is to be disposed on the head. Furthermore, a flexible retaining member such as an elastic strap 33, for example, may be connected to the first frusto-conical section by clips 34 and 35, which cooperate with the triangular shaped apertures or openings and 21 in the first arcuate portion 11. However, if the elastic strap 33 should be eliminated, the hat may still be easily put on the head by a child in the proper man- ,ner because of the relative size of the larger ends of the two frusto-conical sections.

With the party hat assembled as shown in FIGURE 5, it may now be utilized for games with one example being that indicated by the figures 27 of children on the second arcuate portion 14. Furthermore, the party hat is easily retained on the childs head because of the elastic strap 33 so that any bending or moving of the childs head to catch an object being thrown, such as a marshmallow, for

example, will not cause displacement of the hat.

It should be observed that the difference between the radii of the inner curved edge and the outer curved edge of the first arcuate portion 11 is greater than the difierence between the radii of the inner curved edge and the outer curved edge of the second arcuate portion 14. As a result, the wall of the first frusto-conical section has a greater length than the Wall of the second frusto-conical section.

cording to the bets present understanding thereof. However, it will be apparent that changes and modifications in the arrangement and construction of the parts thereof may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. a cardboard party hat including first and second ,frusto-conical sections, said first frusto-conical section having its smaller end of a diameter less than the diameter of the smaller end of said second frusto-conical section V and having its larger end of a diameter greater than the diameter of the larger end of said second frusto-conical section, the smaller end of said first frusto-conical section being disposed within the smaller end of said second frusto-conical section, and means securing the smaller end of said second frusto-conical section to said first frusto-conical section adjacent the smaller end of said first irusto-conical section.

2. A cardboard party hat as set forth in claim 1 in which the wall of said first frusto-conical section has a greater length than the wall of said second frusto-conical section.

3. A cardboard party hat as set forth in claim 1 in which said means securing the smaller end of said second frusto-conical section to said first frusto-conical section comprises a pair of projections extending from the smaller end of said second frusto-conical section and a pair of slots in the wall of said first frusto-conical section near the smaller end of said first 'frusto-conical section, said slots receiving said projections to connect said first frustoconical section and said second frusto-conical section to each other.

4. A cardboard party hat as set forth in claim 1 in which means are connected to two spaced parts of the Wall of said first frusto-conical section adjacent the larger end of said first frusto-conical section to form a hat retaining member.

5. A cardboard party hat formed of first and second arcuate portions, each of said arcuate portions being formed by an inner curved edge, an outer curved edge, and two straight edges joining the ends of said inner curved edge to the ends of said outer curved edge, the radius of said inner curved edge of said second arcuate portion being greater than the radius of said inner curved edge of said first arcuate portion and the radius of said outer curved edge of said second arcuate portion being less than the radius of said outer curved edge of said first arcuate portion, means to secure said two straight edges of said,

first arcuate portion together when they are moved into contiguous relation to each other to form a first frustoconical section, means to secure said two straight edges of said second arcuate portion together when they are moved into contiguous relation to each other to form a second frusto-conical section, said first frusto-conical section having its smaller end of a diameter less than the diameter of the smaller end of said second frusto-conical section and having its larger end of a diameter greater than the diameter of the larger end of said second frusto-conical section, the smaller end of said first frusto-conical section being disposed within the smaller end of said second frusto-conical section, and means securing the smaller end of said second frusto-conical section to said first frustoconical section adjacent the smaller end of said first frusto-conical section.

' References Cited V UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,926,430 9/1933 Breacher et al. 2 200 2,682,666 7/1954 Mayer 2 2,795,796 6/1957 Ray 2-206 2,995,758 8/1961 La Maida 2-175 3,030,632 4/1962 Shelton 2 -209;3 3,184,757 5/1965 Pennington 2-199 PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner.

G. KRIZMANICH, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A CARDBOARD PARTY HAT INCLUDING FIRST AND SECOND FRUSTO-CONICAL SECTION, SAID FIRST FRUSTO-CONICAL SECTION HAVING ITS SMALLER END OF A DIAMETER LESS THAN THE DIAMETER OF THE SMALLER END OF SAID SECOND FRUSTO-CONICAL SECTION AND HAVING ITS LARGER END OF A DIAMETER GREATER THAN THE DIAMETER OF THE LARGER END OF SAID SECOND FRUSTO-CONICAL SECTION, THE SMALLER END OF SAID FIRST FRUSTO-CONICAL SECTION BEING DISPOSED WITHIN THE SMALLER END OF SAID SECOND FRUSTO-CONICAL SECTION, AND MEANS SECURING THE SMALLER END OF SAID SECOND FRUSTO-CONICAL SECTION TO SAID FIRST FRUSTO-CONICAL SECTION ADJACENT THE SMALLER END OF SAID FIRST FRUSTO-CONICAL SECTION. 